Feb. 19 was Destinations Professionals Day and the leading organization representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) says it received a greeting from Prime Minister Mark Carney in recognizing of the day.
Destinations International (DI), a leading association representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) says the day marks the founding of the very first destination organization, the Detroit Convention and Businessman’s League, on Feb. 19, 1896.
Launched internationally by DI in 2025, Destinations Professionals Day
More importantly, it recognizes and celebrates the work of destination professionals, including at destination marketing organizations (DMOs), convention and visitor bureaus, tourism boards, sports commissions and offices that attract film and media productions to a destination.
“These essential workers are tasked with attracting meetings and leisure travel, supporting local businesses, stewarding the destination’s brand and ensuring that tourism growth benefits residents as well as visitors,” says DI, which launched the day 2025.
As for Mark Carney, the prime minister wrote:
“I would like to convey my warmest greetings to everyone taking part in the 2026 Destination Professionals Day.
“Destination Professionals Day offers a wonderful opportunity to highlight the important role professionals in the tourism industry play in our communities and to recognize the tireless efforts of those who work in this vital sector.
“I would like to thank Destinations International for organizing this event and for promoting excellence in the industry. “I wish you all a memorable day.”
Don Welsh, president & CEO of Destinations International, stated, “Destination International is pleased by the growing recognition of Destination Professionals Day and exceptionally honoured to receive Prime Minister Mark Carney’s greeting and confirmation of the importance of the profession. We are thankful for his support.”
He added, “This is particularly exciting for us with Leslie Bruce, president & CEO of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, serving as our board chair this year, and a tribute to the impact of our more than 80 destination organization and business partners across Canada.”
Collectively, destination organizations support a travel and tourism industry that accounts for more than 330 million jobs and roughly 10% of global GDP worldwide. According to an independent report by Tourism Economics, in Canada alone the sector generated $124.4 billion in direct tourism spending in 2023, equal to $341 million per day. It directly supports 692,000 jobs, exceeding the total employment in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying and oil and gas combined.
Earlier this month, Destinations International released a landmark research report, The Impact of the Visitor Economy on Canadian Exports, developed with EY-Parthenon, that finds a statistically significant relationship between inbound visitation and export performance.
Using a multi-decade, panel-data econometric analysis covering more than 20 years of data, the study shows that a 1% increase in international visitors to Canada is associated with approximately CAD $1.06 billion in additional Canadian goods and services exports over a two-year period, beyond the direct export of tourism services themselves.
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